Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Types of fish to choose Can a person stock too many redear sunfish?

Ok back to this thread. IMO this is not stunting. You don't measure stunting in BG and RES like that. Here is why. Because of their reproductive nature (many yoy with only a few surviving to adult status) it is necessary for many to die in year one. Most die from starvation (born at the wrong time when no right size plankton is available) or to much competition from other yoy (LMB , BG , Shiners , FH , YP etc)for food. With their high initial growth rates they could look like that (or die) if right size food was missing for a week. Stunting is measured IMO in adults and near adults. In the written studies (and State Agency books) stunting in BG is talking about over year old BG stunting and becoming a problem -- same for LMB.

This does not mean however that you should not watch for bad condition (lack of food)undersized for age in your yoy fish as that is clearly an indication of class size and condition (a warning of possible problems to come). Class size in sunfish is wildly variable due to lots of factors and should be watched. But that is a natural condition and not IMO stunting but genetically imbedded in the species for survival purposes. In other words stunting is measured in an entire population not just a few of one size yoy.

I just got done stocking 400 RES and 300 CBNG, in 1 acre pond. We will see how I do? Bet it is fine and plenty of RES, to catch for a few years. You do not stock them you will not catch then

When best food for RES is depleted, not a lot is known how well they compete with HGB and BG for food items. If food competition is too high RES will not grow well and not do very well as growing fastest when too many RES per acre are present. If you only put 400 RES in a 1 ac pond with plenty of snails then the RES should survive well until the first couple of spawns by the CNBG. Then competition for invertebrate foods could become a concern for optimum growth of the RES population. RES have a unique niche in the pond habitat and when crowded out of their niche habitat and preferred food items I think their numbers will struggle to really thrive.

[b]You do not stock them you will not catch them[/b]

I hear this statement a lot in my ventures working with the state. Seems to be a misunderstanding about not catching anything so you need to stock more. That's kinda like using duct tape as a band aide-doesn't really address the problem.

My RES are eating , FHM hard and taking pellets some, they have cleaned tad poles out, and went from 1.5 to 2 inch to 3 to 4.5 inch in 5 weeks. I am pleased so far ,

For years some of us (including the Fisheries professors) have looked for a stunted RES population. We have not found one. It is possible as Bill notes that without the right food they can certainly starve or be in poor condition. This is unlike PS and BG populations where absent management stunting is common.

Is there some mechanism on RES such that they reduce their spawning when their ecological niche is full?

Interesting question Rod.

Great question. There are many things (known and unknown) that can act to increase or suppress recruitment in fish. None of the guys who were looking into RES non-stunting ever said what they thought was provable but some of us thought that there is a trait/condition/adaptation that RES have which will turn off negative recruitment.

Bad analogy...sometimes duct tape is better than a band aide.

H20fwler, you are probably correct..